St. Charles County woman embezzles $3.8M from family-owned business

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ST. LOUIS — A St. Charles County pistillate admitted successful tribunal connected Thursday to embezzling astatine slightest $3.8 cardinal from her leader with the assistance of the business’s suppliers based successful China.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s bureau of the Eastern District of Missouri, Bridget Thebeau, 45, admitted to embezzling from her employer, a family-owned company, from January 2015 done March 2024.

Thebeau had allegedly struck a woody with the business’s suppliers successful China, which led to the concern paying their suppliers for products the family-owned institution did not request oregon adjacent receive. In exchange, the suppliers successful China shared the proceeds of the scam with Thebeau.

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The U.S. Attorney’s Office said the scam led to implicit 200 fraudulent acquisition orders, triggering payments of astatine slightest $3,821,152 to the China-based suppliers. In return, Thebeau was wired much than $2 million.

Thebeau tried to fell the transactions with fraudulent shipping labels and bills issued by the China-based suppliers. She additionally created fraudulent invoices and claimed she had issued them to the company’s customers. Allegedly, Thebeau reported mendacious accusation to the company’s proprietor and accountants during the scam.

Thebeau was primitively hired by the family-owned institution successful 2002. Allegedly her transgression has created important fiscal hardship for the company’s owner, who tin nary longer spend status owed to the embezzlement.

Thebeau pleaded blameworthy successful U.S. District Court to 5 counts of ligament fraud. She is scheduled to beryllium sentenced connected Sept. 11. Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years successful prison, a good of up to $250,000, oregon both.

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